Brake-beam for railway-cars.



PATENTLD OCT. 10, 1905.

J. MOE. AMBS.

BRAKE BEAM FOR, RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ANVENTOR @immw v.

WITNESSES! PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

J. McE. AMES.

BRAKE BEAM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR 12,1905.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

J. MOE. AMES.

3 sunk-sum a.

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JOHN MOE. AMES. OF NEWV BRIGHTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN A.HEGEMAN, J R., OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEWV JERSEY.

BRAKE-BEAM FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

To LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN McE. AMES, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New Brighton, in the county of Richmond and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beamsfor Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in brake-beams for railway-cars;and it consists in the novel features and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Brake-beams of the class to which my invention more particularlypertains comprise a solid rolled body-beam of suitable length,brake-heads of standard construction on the ends thereof, and a fulcrumfor the brakelever; and my invention has for its object to produce anovel fulcrum for use in such beams, said fulcrum being efficient anddurable and capable of being firmly and quickly applied to the beam andpossessing a jaw which may be turned either to the right or left throughan angle of forty degrees from the vertical without in any mannerchanging the fastenings or members by which said jaw is secured to thebody-beam, the said jaw being thus rendered adaptable for a right or alefthand fulcrum.

In carrying out my invention I preferably form the fulcrum of threeparts, one )being the axially-adjustable jaw and the other two partsbeing the members which hold the said jaw and permit its axialadjustment and'by means of which the jaw may be secured to the solidbody-beam.

In addition to the broad features of my intion of same on the dottedline 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached'inner face view ofone of the jaw-securing members, the head portion of the jaw being shownin position Fig. 5 is a detached edge view of therein.

the fulcrum-securing members, one of said members being shown in centralvertical section on the dotted line-5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6

. is an inner end view of the fulcrum-securing members applied to thebody-beam with one of said members and the inner end of the fulcrum-jawshown in section on the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detachedside elevation, partly in section, of the fulcrum-jaw.

looking at the outer end of the fulcrum-jaw.

In the drawings, 10 designates the usual solid body-beam, preferably ofI shape in crosssection, 11 the brake-heads of standard constructionapplied upon the ends thereof, and 12 the novel fulcrum of my inventionwhich is applied centrally on one edge of the beam 10.

The fulcrum or strut 12 comprises the securing members 14 15 and jaw oraxiallyadjustable member 16. the latter being bifurcated at its outerportion to receive the brake-lever and apertured to afford bearings forthe brake-lever, pin, or bolt. The member or jaw 16 comprises thecorresponding sides or bifurcated portion 17, neck 18, and head 19, andthe outline of these parts is clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10,inclusive. The head 19 is of special formation in that it is of generalcircular outline and formed at opposite sides with wings or stop-arms 2O21, which project from the general outline of said head and cooperate attheir opposite side edges with the securing members 14 15. The

' neck 18 adjacent to the head 19 is circular in ';.-cross-section andforms a stem in line with sthe axial center of the jaw. members 14 15are duplicates of each other,

The securing and each of said members is formed with a flange 22 toengage the web and inner side of the flange of the beam 10 and a flange23 to pass along the outer surface of the flange of the beam 10, theflanges 22 23 serving to engage the body-beam, to which the securingmembers 14 15 are fastened by means of a bolt or rivet 34. The flanges28 of the securing members 14 15 are each formedwith a box-like section24, having radial ends 25 and intermediate said ends an arc chamber 26,as shown in Fig. 6. Theainner facing central portions of the sections 240f .the securing members 14 15 are each formed-With'a semicircular hub27 and when the said members 14 15 are brought together at the upper andlower sides of the beam 10 the said semicircular hubs 27 form a completecircular bearing for the stem 18 of the jaw 16.

In assembling the parts of the fulcrum the head 19 of the jaw isdisposed within the chambers 26 of the securing members 14 15, with theneck or stem 18 of said jaw within the bearing furnished by thesemicircular hubs 27 and when the parts are thus assembled thefulcrum-jaw is rendered axially adjustable and may be turned in onedirection or the other to transform the fulcrum into either a right orleft hand position with the slot between the sides 17 standing at anangle of forty degrees from the vertical. The inner edges of the ends 25of the box-like sections 24 define a circular outline and arein nearrelation to the circular edges of the head 19, as shown in Fig. 6, whilethe neck or stem 18 is in near relation to the circular bearing-surfacefurnished by the semicircular hubs 27, and hence said head 19 becomesfirmly held and guided at its edges. The wing projections or arms 20 21on the head 19 are inclosed wholly within the chambers 26 of thebox-like sections 24, and the opposing sides of these Wings or arms areadapted to contact with the oppositely-disposed ends 25 of saidsections, as shown in Fig. 6, in which the right-hand side of the upperstop-arm 20 is in engagement with the inner wall of the righthand end 25of the securing member 15, while the left-hand side of the wing or arm21 is in engagement with the inner right-hand wall of the left-hand end25 of the securing member 14, and this will be the position of the head19 when the fulcrum-jaw is in one operative position. When it is desiredto adapt the fulcrum for its other operative position, the jaw willsimply be turned axially so as to throw the wing or arm 21 against theright-hand end 25 (looking at Fig. 6) of the lower boxsection 24 and thewing or arm 20 against the left-hand end 25 of the upper box-section 24,this being accomplished without loosening the securing members 14 15,but simply by turning the fulcrum-jaw axially. The ends 25 ofthebox-like sections 24 thus not only aid in centering and guiding thehead 19 in its axial motions, but afford shoulders or stops to beengaged by the arms or wings 2O 21 of said head for arresting the jawwhen it shall have reached its proper desired operative position. Theouter surfaces of the box-like sections 24 closely encompass the outervertical surfaces of the head 19, while the inner vertical surfaces ofsaid head are adjacent to the flange of the body-beam 10, and when theparts of the fulcrum are assembled and secured to an I-beam the jawbecomes firmly held though capable of being turned axially in eitherdirection until it is arrested at the desired forty-degree angle. IVhenpower is applied on the brakelever, the head 19 takes the pull orthrust.

vertical without in any way disturbing the I securing members, the beamprovided with the fulcrum of my invention being capable of use without.change for brake-levers arranged to be carried by a right-hand fulcrumor a left-hand fulcrum.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the body-beam, a fulcrum-jaw, and means forconnecting the same with and at one edge of said beam, said jaw beingdirectly and freely axially adjustable within its securing means withoutdisturbing the latter, for adapting the same for either a right or lefthand fulcrum; substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the body-beam, a fulcrum-jaw, and means forconnecting the same with and at one edge of said beam, said jaw beingdirectly and freely axially adjustable within its securing means withoutdisturbing the latter, and said parts being provided with shoulders toengage each other and arrest said jaw when it reaches its respectiveoperative positions; substantially as set forth.

3. In a brake-beam, a body-beam and a fulcrum therefor comprisingmembers secured to said beam and forming within them a chamber, and ajaw having on its inner end a head confined and having an easy fitwithin said chamber and adapted to be directly turned axially thereinwithout disturbing its securing means, for adapting the jaw for a rightor a left hand fulcrum; substantially as set forth.

4. In a brake-beam, a body-beam and a ful crum therefor comprisingmembers secured to said beam and forming within them a chamber, and ajaw having on its inner end a head confined and having an easy fitwithin said chamber and adapted to be directly turned axially thereinwithout disturbing its securing means, said parts being provided withshoulders to engage each otherand arrest said jaw when it reaches itscorrect position; substantially as set forth.

5. In a brake-beam, a body-beam and a ful crum therefor comprisingmembers secured to said beam and forming within them a chamber, and ajaw having on its inner end a laterally-extending head confined andhaving an easy fit within said chamber and adapted to be directly turnedaxially therein without disturbing its securing means, for adapting thejaw for a right or a left hand fulcrum, said head having projecting armsand said members at.

each end of each section of said chamber formed therein having ends toengage said arms for arresting said jaw when the latter on being turnedreaches its correct position; substantially as set forth.

6. In a brake-beam, the flanged body-beam and a fulcrum thereforcomprising the securing members and axially-adjustable jaw, said membersfitting around the flange of said beam and engaging the web thereof andhaving adjacent to said flange the box-like sections forming a chamberand central hub portion, and said jaw having the neck and headrespectively confined and having an easy fit within said hub and chamberand adapted to be directly turned axially therein without disturbingtheir securing means, for adapting the jaw for a right or a left handfulcrum; substantially as set forth.

7. In a brake-beam, the flanged body-beam and a fulcrum thereforcomprising the securing members and axially-adjustable jaw, said membersfitting around the flange of said beam and engaging the web thereof andhaving adjacent to said flange the box-like sections forming a chamberand central hub portions, and said jaw having the neck within said huband the head confined within said chamber, said head havinglaterally-projecting arms, and said members at each end of each sectionof said chamber formed'therein having ends to engage said arms forarresting said jaw when the latter on being turned reaches its correctposition; substantially as set forth.

8. As a new article of manufacture a brakebeam fulcrum comprising twocorresponding securing members adapted to fit upon and embrace theflange of the beam, and a jaw having a head loosely confined within achamber formed within said members, whereby said jaw is rendered axiallyadjustable and adaptable for either a right or a left hand fulcrum;substantially as set forth.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a brakebeam fulcrum comprising twocorresponding securing members adapted to fit upon and embrace thefiange of the beam, and a jaw having a head loosely confined within achamber formed within said members, whereby said jaw is rendered axiallyadjustable and adaptable for either a right or a left hand fulcrum, saidmembers and said jaw having shoulders to engage each other and arrestsaid jaw at its respective operative positions; substantially as setforth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 10th day of April, A. D. 1905.

JOHN MOE. AMES.

Witnesses:

B. A. HEGEMAN, J r., CHAS. C. GILL.

